Amusement apparatus.



H. N. RIDGWAY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1908.

982,964., Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT N. RIDGWAY, OF -WINTHYR0P, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed March 1, 1906, Serial No. 303,592. Divided and this application led May 28, 1908. Serial No. 435,500.

T o all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT N. RIDGwAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at IVinthrop, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like numerals on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of that class which is designed to give the persons using it an unexpected and surprising sensation.

The device comprises a normally idle but rotatable platform which is adapted for persons to stand or sit on and which is so arranged that when a suflicient weight is applied thereto it will be automatically set in motion. Since the platform is normally idle, a person in the vicinity of the platform will reasonably assume that it affords a solid support to step on or walk over or sit on. As soon, however, as a person does step or sit on the platform the mechanism for rotating it isset in operation and the platform begins its rotary movement, which rotary movement is preferably at such a speed that if the person is at the edge of the platform, he will be thrown off from the latter by centrifugal force. If a person is at the center of the platform, the centrifugal action will lbe much less but the sensation of having the platform suddenly begin to turn is a novel and surprising one.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section through a platform or floor space showing a rotary platform embodying my invention in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the platform shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a modification.

3 is a fixed platform or floor space placed where people naturally congregate or where they pass in going from one place to another. The normally idle platform is designated by Il and it may be one adapted merely for persons to stand on or walk over, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be one adapted for persons to sit on, as shown in Fig. 3. Vhere the latter construction is employed the platform l may have a seat or seats l0 thereon on which persons may sit and preferably the seats will be arranged so that the front edges thereof come flush with the edge of the platform, and this arrangement will be employed where the seat is a circular one. This form of seat isnot essential to the inlar and is located in an opening 5 formed in the stationary platform 3, and the latter is arranged with its edge closely adjacent the edge of the movable platform l.

In the present embodiment of my invention, I arrange a vertically-extending driving shaft S beneath the platform l, which shaft is adapted to be driven by any suitable means, such, for instance, as a motor 9, said motor being shown as geared to the shaft by means of bevel gears 10. Vhere this construction'is employed the shaft 8 is constantly rotated and provision is made whereby when sufficient weight is applied .to the normally-idle rotary platform 4, the latter will be coupled to the shaft 8 and rotated thereby. This result may be secured in a variety of ways and in the illustrated embodiment the upper end of the shaft 8 is loosely received in a recess 11 formed in the rotary platform so that said shaft can rotate freely without rotating the platform,

clutch member 12 herein shown in the form of a collar. Y

The rotary platform is normally elevated slightly above the clutch member, as shown mechanism which is herein shown as a lever 13 pivoted at 1li and carrying at one end a counterweight 15 and at the other end being forked, as at 16, and having rolls 17 in each of the branches of the fork, which rolls bear against the underside of the platform 4L on opposite sides thereof. This counterweight is so constructed that when a person steps or sits on the platform 4, the counterweight will be overcome and the platform will be depressed into the dotted line position Fig. 2, thereby bringing the under side thereof in engagement with the friction clutch member 12. Said clutch member may and preferably will have on its upper side some suitable friction material and the underside of the platform may also be provided with friction material, so that as soo'n as the platform 4t is brought into engagement with the clutch member the rotation of the clutch member Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

vention, however. The platform l is circueol and said shaft has rigid therewith a friction i in Figs. 1 and 2, by a suitable counterweight o will be communicated to the platform and the latter will be rotated. AWhen the platform 4 is relieved from any weight, the counterweight 15 will again lift it out of lcontact with the clutch member 12 and the l pressed into clutching engagement with the clutch member, the upper surface of the platform will be slightly above or substantially on the same level as the surface of the platform 3.

The speed of rotation of the shaft 8 is such that when the platform 4 is rotating, persons thereon will be thrown off therefrom by centrifugal action., and the platform 3 is arranged so that when this occurs, they will be received on the platform 3 without any likelihood of injury. For this purpose the platform 3 is preferably free and unobstructed on all sides of the rotary platform 4.

Vhere the front edges of the seats 40 come Hush with thc periphery of the plat' form 4, the weight of the person is not received on the platform until such person sits down on the seat, and therefore the platform is not set in motion until the person does thus sit down. I will preferably arrange the seats facing outwardly so that when the platform is set in rotation the centrifugal force will throw the person forwardly from the seat onto the stationary platform 3.

The embodiment of this invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 was divided ont of my ap,- plication Se. No. 303,592, filed March 1,

1906, which latter application matured into Patent No. 883,484, dated March 31, 1908.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent is 1. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a normally idle but revoluble platform, of a stationary platform closely surrounding the revoluble platform, a continuously rotating shaft beneath the revoluble platform, the latter having a recess to loosely receive the upper end of the shaft, a friction clutch member on said shaft, and means to maintain the revoluble platform normally slightly separated from the friction clutch member whereby if any person steps on the said platform, it is depressed into engagement with the clutch member and is rotated thereby.

2. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a continuously-rotating shaft having a friction clutch member thereon, of a normally idle but depressible platform which is centered by said shaft, and means to maintain normally said platform separated from the friction clutch member.

3. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a normally idle but revoluble platform, of a continuously-rotating shaft separate from the platform and extending at right angles thereto, a friction clutch member on said shaft, and ymeans to maintain the platform normally separated slightly from the friction clutch member whereby when a person steps on the platform, it is brought into engagement with the clutch member and is rotated thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT N. RIDGIVAY.

IVitnesses LoUrs C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

